Pursuit
Backpacking
Multi-day travel under a pack — weight, sleep systems, and resupply.
About backpacking
Backpacking is hiking plus the logistics of sleeping out. The craft is in the trade-offs: pack weight against comfort, food weight against calories, and mileage against the weather window you actually have.
Season: Late spring through fall in most ranges; winter is a different sport.
Learn these first
- Build a base weight you can carry all day without wrecking your feet
- Pitch your shelter in wind and rain on the first try
- Plan water carries between reliable sources
- Food math: 3,000–4,500 kcal/day at roughly 125 kcal per ounce
Kit that matters
- Pack sized to your load, not the other way around
- Shelter, pad with an R-value matched to ground temps, and a bag rated below your low
- Stove and pot, water filter, and a bear-appropriate food storage plan
- Repair kit: tape, cord, needle and thread, spare buckle
Honest hazard notes
- Starting too heavy — the most common reason first trips go badly
- Underrated sleeping pads; cold ground beats cold air every time
- River crossings at afternoon snowmelt highs
Plan a backpacking trip
Backpacking reading
7 Overlooked National Parks for Backpackers Who Seek Solitude and Challenge
Tired of permit lotteries and crowded trails? Discover these seven National Parks offering exceptional backcountry experiences, challenging terrain, and the solitude serious backpackers crave. These aren't the parks you see on postcards, but they're the ones you'll remember.
Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2026: Field Tested
Clean water in the backcountry isn't an option, it's a necessity. We've put the latest water filters through their paces, detailing the pros and cons of squeeze, gravity, pump, and chemical treatments so you can choose the right system for your adventures.
How to Reduce Backpack Weight Without Removing Your Safety Margin
A lighter pack can improve pace, balance, comfort, and recovery, but the method matters. Safe weight reduction begins with removing unused redundancy, selecting multipurpose equipment, carrying accurate consumables, and choosing a route-app
Backpacking Weather Decisions: Forecasts, Turnaround Times, and Red Flags
Weather planning is not a one-time forecast check. It combines regional outlooks, local terrain, recent observations, seasonal patterns, and clear decisions about when to delay, reroute, or turn around. A forecast is evidence, not a guarant
How to Plan a Multi-Day Backpacking Trip From Route to Resupply
Multi-day backpacking turns small assumptions into cumulative consequences. Route pace, campsite legality, water, food, weather, permits, resupply hours, transportation, and group capacity must align across every day. The plan should be det
Blister Prevention and Foot Care for Backpackers
Blisters develop from friction, moisture, pressure, heat, and time. The best treatment begins before skin separates: footwear that fits, socks that manage moisture, gradual conditioning, clean feet, trimmed nails, and immediate attention to
Backpacking Food Planning: Calories, Weight, Appetite, and Simplicity
Backpacking food must be edible when tired, compact enough to carry, simple enough to prepare, and sufficient for the work. Calorie targets are estimates, not moral obligations. The best plan uses familiar foods, balances carbohydrates, fat
How to Fit a Backpack: Torso Length, Hip Belt, and Load Control
A backpack should transfer most of its supported load through the hip belt while allowing the shoulder harness and load lifters to stabilize the pack. Brand size labels are only a starting point. Torso length, hip shape, shoulder width, adj
Your First Solo Backpacking Trip: How to Plan It Conservatively
A first solo backpacking trip should be simple enough that solitude—not route complexity—provides the new challenge. Choose a familiar or well-documented route, mild conditions, a short distance, reliable water, legal established camping, a
Backpacking FAQ
What base weight should I aim for?
Under 20 pounds is comfortable for three-season trips; under 12 is lightweight territory and takes deliberate gear choices.
How do I plan food for a week?
Budget around 1.6–2 pounds of food per person per day, aiming for calorie-dense items above 125 calories per ounce.